LIFE WITH BIG BROTHER

'Patriot Act' author troubled by NSA snooping

'I have always worried about potential abuses'

Published: 06/06/2013 at 11:08 PM

(The Hill) Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.), who authored and introduced the Patriot Act, said Thursday that he was troubled by reports the National Security Agency (NSA) had collected phone records from millions of Americans.

“As the author of the Patriot Act, I am extremely troubled by the FBI’s interpretation of this legislation,” Sensenbrenner said in a statement. “While I believe the Patriot Act appropriately balanced national security concerns and civil rights, I have always worried about potential abuses.”

The Guardian newspaper reported Wednesday night that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Court had approved a court order that required Verizon to turn over metadata on all telephone calls handled since April 25, covering millions of Americans not suspected of committing any crimes.